Top Five Joshi Matches of The Month (March 2022)

The Joshi wrestling scene (Japanese Women’s Wrestling) is a deep scene full of insanely talented performers and every month there are dozens of fantastic matches from promotions from Stardom to Sendai Girls and everywhere in between.  In this article, we aim to give readers a list of recommended Joshi matches that took place in the last month, there will be some honorable mentions and then a top 5 featuring our absolute favorites!  Scott Edwards takes over for this edition, which focuses on March 2022.

Important Note: Due to some matches not airing as of the time of writing some presumably great Joshi matches can’t be ranked.  Also due to the recent PPV Model adopted by a number of promotions, we are unable to see every event.

Recommended Joshi Matches: March 2022

Honorable Mentions:

• Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki vs. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe (TJPW)
• Mayu Iwatani & KAIRI vs. Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka (Stardom)
• Syuri vs. Mayu Iwatani (Stardom)
• Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Yuu & Miyuki Takase (SEAdLINNNG)

5. Hazuki vs. Momo Watanabe (Stardom)

Only one match on this list had no title on the line but managed to channel an energy that was worthy of making it. It happened to be the match (better to be called a war) between Hazuki and Momo Watanabe from Stardom World Climax. The history these two carry with them goes back years and you could feel it. Watanabe and Starlight Kid defeated Hazuki and Koguma for the Goddess of Stardom Championship on day one of Stardom World Climax, adding to the intensity these two had in their match against each other. If you remember Hazuki from pre-retirement, you know how no-nonsense and physical she was in her style. Many can agree we didn’t get much of that over the first several months of her return with only the match against Utami Hayashishita really jumping off the page in terms of matches Hazuki felt like her true self.

Well, Watanabe knows better than anyone else how to bring that out of Hazuki, resulting in one of the most physical matches of the month.

4. Arisa Nakajima & Hanako Nakamori vs. Miyuki Takase & Rina Yamashita (PURE-J)

The best Joshi tag team match of the year comes from PURE-J. Arisa Nakajima and Hanako Nakamori defended their tag team belts against Miyuki Takase and Rina Yamashita. The team of the NOMADS was as hard-hitting as you’d expect, bringing it to Nakajima and Nakamori. These four women created a pace that felt non-stop. Yamashita and Takase managed to dent the chests of their opponents with forearms and chops but somehow the champions managed to battle back and keep their titles. Any Joshi fan should go out of their way to watch this ASAP.

3. Miyu Yamashita vs. Shoko Nakajima (TJPW)

TJPW had the biggest show in its history with Grand Princess inside Ryogoku Sumo Hall. With that being said, they needed their main event between Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima to live up to the massive stakes of the show. Challenge the ace to show up and deliver and deliver she will. Yamashita and Nakajima carried the big match feel from start to finish, creating drama that made you sit on the edge of your seat. A ton of credit will go towards Yamashita (rightfully so) but Nakajima has shown in her last two matches she is one of the most underrated in all of Joshi. Nakajima rose up to the challenge and gave the best performance in her career.

By the finish of the match, it solidified two things: 1. One of the best Princess of Princess Championship reigns in history was completed with a fantastic match and 2. This was one of the best Joshi matches of the year.

2. Syuri vs. Giulia (Stardom)

No match this month or maybe this year in Joshi had the overall physicality that the World of Stardom Championship match did between Syuri and Giulia. Heading into this match, the two Donna del Mondo kingpins agreed they’d break up following this match because of what they were going to do head-to-head. This was scrappy, brutal, and nothing but breathtaking because of what these former tag team partners were willing to do to walk out as the champion. Giulia did everything she could — bringing out the Northern Lights Bomb to try and put away Syuri but it was not enough. Ultimately, Syuri proved yet again she was not messing around as the World of Stardom Champion and ended her former partner’s challenge once and for all. It was a beautifully ugly match.

1. Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom)

Saya Kamitani cannot be stopped. Last month, she finished first in the top five, and this month, she did the same. However, it’s likely the match wasn’t the one fans expected. Instead of another rematch with Utami Hayashishita meeting or surpassing the levels of their 2021 battles, Kamitani instead did that with Tam Nakano in the semi-main event of Stardom World Climax ~The Top~. As someone who went into this one not nearly as excited as I should have been, these two got me and everyone into the match within seconds of this starting. The Kamitani-style Wonder of Stardom Championship match is nothing but top-notch. The action, pace, and insanity these two brought to the table should receive all the praise imaginable. It was much more than a two-spot match but neared, if not surpassed, their match at Stardom Dream Queendom.

Another fantastic entry for Kamitani as she builds her “Wrestler of the Year” résumé.

This and every other Stardom match listed can be seen on Stardom World.

More from LWOS Pro Wrestling